A late Joe Pritchard header saw Wanderers U23s earn a point in the Professional Development League against Sheffield United U23s yesterday evening.
First Half
Wanderers started the brighter of the two sides, with Luke Murphy picking the ball up and firing from distance but his effort flew just past the far post.
The visitors reply with a chance of their own, as a one-two between Oure and Broadbent sees the latter shoot from the edge of the area.
However, the midfielder’s effort was never troubling Jake Turner in the Wanderers goal.
Blades’ winger Stephen Mallon plucked a cross field pass out of the air and drove down the left flank before whipping a cross across the Bolton goalmouth with nobody able to get on the end of it.
Luca Navarro tested the keeper from a set-piece, trying to sneak it round the corner of the United wall but Jordan Amissah smothered the effort before picking up at the second chance.
The striker nearly turned provider as a looping cross into the area saw Jordan Boon leap unmarked in the area.
His powerful header looked to be goalbound until Amissah parried away the effort to his right.
Just after the half hour mark and Sheffield took the lead as a driven low cross cannoned off Whites defender Yoan Zouma and inadvertently found the back of the Wanderers goal.
It was nearly two for the visitors shortly after, as Broadbent stung the gloves of Turner down to his left.
Second Half
The second began with Wanderers piling on the pressure, as Jack Earing fired away from 18 yards, but it flew just over the crossbar.
Just after the hour mark and a combination of Pritchard and Argent-Barnes saw the latter test Amissah’s gloves twice, as the goalkeeper produced a quick double save from point blank range.
With 14 minutes to go and Wanderers had the equaliser through Pritchard.
Skipper Harry Brockbank produced a superb floated delivery into the area, to find Pritchard in acres of space to power his header past Amissah from 8 yards.
In added time and David Lee’s men nearly had the winner.
Again, the combination of Brockbank and Pritchard had the midfielder firing on the half volley from 12 yards and cannoning his shot off the crossbar, leaving Amissah a mere bystander.
Full Time
Wanderers XI: Turner, Brockbank, Muscatt, Zouma, Boon, Murphy, Earing, Jones-Griffiths, Navarro, Pritchard, Argent-Barnes.
Substitutes: Darcy, B. Williams, King-Harmes, Hartshorne, Smith.